Ecosystem Services of the Atmosphere

By: Carlos Antonio Guanzon8-Mandela

Ecosystem Services of the Atmosphere“Ecosystem Services are the benefits people get from the

ecosystem” (greenfacts.org)

- How do we benefit from the atmosphere?

- How does the atmosphere make life possible on Earth?

A. Ozone layer

B. Greenhouse gases

C. Weather and Climate

D. Solar Energy and TemperatureRegulation

E. Protection from Meteors

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Ozone Layer Stratosphere, 20-30 km from Earth’s surface O+O2 = O3

Protection from UV radiation UV causes:

- cataracts, immune system suppression, genetic damage, skin cancer

Environmental Concern: depleting ozone layer> Action Taken: CFC (chlorofluorocarbons) prohibition

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Greenhouse Gases Water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane Absorbs heat from sun and re-radiate back to Earth’s surface

(papers.ssrn.com)

> without them surface temperature is about -18 degrees Celcius (0 degrees Fahrenheit) (ase.tufts.edu)

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Greenhouse Gases Environmental Concern: Global warming

Action Taken: Fossil fuel : power plants, vehicles Conservation of forest, planting of trees

Weather and Climate(eo.ucar.edu)

Weather – the specific atmospheric conditions that exist at a particular place at a particular time

- controlled by changes in air pressure Example: low pressure: clear skies

high pressure: cloudy skies (rain)

Climate – behavior of atmosphere over a long period of time

- differs in regions of the world:

> amount of sunlight

> geographic factor: proximity to oceans, altitude

Solar Energy and Temperature Regulation

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Solar Energy and Temperature Regulation

Solar Energy:

30% reflected back to space

20% absorbed by greenhouse gases and re-radiated to earth’s surface

50% absorbed by earth’s surface

Temperature of Earth:

Normal: 15° C/ 59° F

w/o Greenhouse gases: -18° C/ 0° F (*32° F freezing point)

w/o solar energy reflected: +250° F (212° F boiling point)

* based on moon’s temp (reflecting only 10% solar energy)

Protection from Meteors

• Atmosphere (mesosphere) burns meteors before they hit the surface of the Earth

• Meteors travel fast causing the atmospheric gases to compress quickly

• Generate great amounts of heat, burning the objects

• temperatures can reach as high as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1650 degrees Celsius)

outerspaceuniverse.org

Image References welter-4d.de/fplugs/freeplugins_en.html leap.silvacom.com/algar-ecosystem-services-assessment-project-kickoff/ http://www.homecollection.biz/greenhouse-gases-for-kids/ http://www.outerspaceuniverse.org/media/atmosphere-burning.jpg http://cosscience1.pbworks.com/f/124819246 http://image.slidesharecdn.com

/convection-120524143258-phpapp02/95/role-of-convection-in-creation-of-winds-3-728.jpg?cb=1337870043

odule7-011.pngReferences p 509 and pp 518-523 of the Earth Science book prezi.com/kj8nokadoiyg/how-does-our-atmosphere-make-life-on-earth-possible// greenfacts.org/en/ecosystems/toolboxes/box2-1-services.htm papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1114354 http://ase.tufts.edu/cosmos/view_chapter.asp?id=21& http://www.eo.ucar.edu/basics/wx_2.html http://www.outerspaceuniverse.org/how-earths-atmosphere-burns-meteors-comet

s-and-other-space-debris.html http://powermylearning.org/playlist/atmosphere-0?utm_source=pin&utm_medium

=post&utm_campaign=pmltd http://cseligman.com/text/planets/atmosphere.htm